Of Love and Loss
by IAMiniquity
Summary: Four years ago Luca left La Push to battle her disease with out telling anyone but her grandmother she was leaving. She's nearly ready to graduate college when she receives news of her dying grandmother, the woman who raised her. Luca must face the responsibilities of life, and her old friends. Imprint Fic. ON HOLD.
1. Chapter 1

This is dedicated my Great Aunt, who is basically my real life "Gamma", who is a main character in this story, despite the fact that she isn't alive. And to Jane, for being one of the most kind and special people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Rest in Peace.

**Disclaimer:** Stephanie Meyer owns everything you recognize.

**Of Love and Loss**

**Chapter One:**

I was speeding.

Like, super speeding. I was cruising the highway at 105.

Gamma would kill me if she knew.

It had been exactly twenty hours and thirty four minutes since I had received the call from Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Gamma, my Grandmother, the woman who had raised me since I was five years old and had been diagnosed with Epilepsy, had had a terrible stroke. He didn't expect her to make it, and he was "very sorry." Whatever that meant, coming from the man who had sent me all the way to California for "better treatments" in the first place.

I'll never forget the way my heart stopped and I literally sank onto the pavement when the line went dead, and how revolting I must've looked as I sat on the pavement in the front of the treatment center and cried, and cried, and cried. I couldn't accept it. That went on for about ten minutes before someone had picked me up and dusted me off, telling me I looked pathetic.

I could never thank that douche enough, because that kicked me into gear. Within an hour I had my room in the University dorms packed and I was ready to sign myself out. I had practically already graduated anyways, finals were over, my treatment at the center was basically complete, and Gamma needed me home.

I remember when I left La Push at seventeen, after graduation, I had vowed I wouldn't go back and stay for longer than a few weeks ever again. I didn't want to be stuck there like everyone else I knew. I'd had a chance to get out, and I'd taken it. I didn't want to look back except to visit Gamma.

Though, if I'd had one hint from _him _I would have stayed. But that was a different story all together.

So here I was, going back to La Push, but first I had to make a pit stop at the small, unsatisfactory, vile hospital where Dr. Cullen inhabited, Forks Hospital. I'd spent so much time there growing up that I was repulsed by the very thought of the building and nearly all of it's ridiculous staff members. Between Gamma's appointments and my monthly checkups, treatments, and the occasional seizure, I'd spent probably a fourth of my life in that hospital.

I pulled my car into the all too familiar parking lot and sighed as I parked and gathered my purse. Practically sprinting I made my way through the hospital parking lot and into the lobby, not even bothering to lock my car doors considering this was Forks, a town named after a utensil with a clearly non existent crime rate. If my car was stolen I would probably die of laughter before I was upset.

The lobby hadn't changed in the three years I had been gone, just as cold as it always had been. A few strategically placed fake plants littered the area, a pretty poor attempt at making it seem like this wasn't a hell hole. I looked at the receptionist, I didn't recognize her, but all the same I ran up to her.

"I'm here to see Lynda Cane." I breathed hurriedly, attempting to instill a sense of urgency.

"Lynda Cane... OH, Gamma! You must be Luca, they've been waiting for you." She gave me a sympathetic half smile that I tried to pretend I didn't see. Sympathy would be welcome later, not now. She was still alive now.

"They?" I questioned as she led me to the elevators.

"Dr. Cullen and Gamma, they've been waiting for you."

"So she's coherent?" I sighed, relieved.

She stiffened, I took it as a bad sign. "Well... she's been waiting for you. She's on the third floor, in room E."

I got into the elevator and she left me. I pressed the button for the third floor, more worried than I had been a few minutes ago. I hadn't seen Gamma since Christmas, and that was seven months ago. I had been planning a surprise visit in August, since I would have officially graduated college by then, ending the summer semester, and been able to come home.

The elevator stopped and I took the familiar path down the hallways, cringing as I walked into room E.

The atmosphere went from cold to freezing when I entered the room, surprisingly enough it was as though Dr. Cullen knew I had walked in, because he came in the room just as I stood next to a sleeping Gamma. The whole left side of her body looked limp, and what I could see of her skin looked sickly and pale. There were IV's pumping bags of medical junk into her system. If Dr. Cullen hadn't come in behind me I knew that in that moment I would have fallen to the floor.

It took everything I had to stop myself from crying.

"Miss Cane, It's good to see you again, I'm sorry it's under these circumstances." Dr. Cullen stated solemnly.

I nodded, there wasn't much I could say to him. I didn't have the words.

"She's been holding on for you to get here, when she sleeps its only for about a half hour before she's up again, so I would expect her to be awake again soon. She has trouble seeing and speaking, but she can hear perfectly. Moving is impossible at the moment, I'm surprised she's held out this long. I know she wanted you to be here." He said, grabbing my shoulder to prevent me from collapsing.

He helped me into a chair and the silent sobs over flowed. I couldn't move, I just sat there and silently wept. This was the most wonderful woman, and she didn't deserve to go out like this. She wanted to be on the beach, watching the waves crash against the stupid La Push cliffs. That had been her favorite part of La Push. She wanted to visit Cali and see me graduate college. She wanted so many things and seeing her now I knew she'd never get all the things she wanted, the things she _deserved_.

She took me in as a toddler because my mother didn't want to grow up and take care of me after I had been diagnosed. Gamma had paid the medical bills, taken care of my schooling, did everything that a mother should. She held me when my first boyfriend dumped me, and helped me get out of the stated when _he _left me. She tried to pay for my mother's rehab. She gave my dead beat father a car and tried to set him up with a job so he could be in my life. Gamma had taken care of every aspect of my life. I didn't care that she was technically my grandmother, Gamma was my Mom.

"Did you call my mother?" I asked in between sobs.

He nodded, "I informed her, she said she'd be here for the funeral."

I suppressed a grunt, she meant she would be here for the reading of the will.

Surprisingly enough Dr. Carlisle Cullen just stood there and rubbed my back as I cried. I guess since he'd been treating my Epilepsy since he first came to Forks must have felt like he needed to consul me. I heard a long drawn out breath and my head shot up. Gamma's eyes were barely open. Dr. Cullen left silently.

"Hey Gamma, it's me." My voice cracked.

"Lu-" I heard her say, barely.

"I love you Gamma, so much." The tears were pouring again, I tried to keep them out of my voice.

She looked as though she tried to say it back. As much as I wanted her to hold on and recover, I knew she wanted to go. She needed to go. "I know you love me Gamma. I just want you to know how much I love you, and how much I appreciate everything you've done for me through my life. I couldn't have asked for a better grandma, a better family."

I grabbed her hand and kissed her forehead. "If you gotta go then go Gamma, I'm with you. I love you so much. Go be with God.

She took a deep breath, and released it. A small smile graced her thin, chapped, lips, her hand slipped from mine, and her suffering ended.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to those who reviewed, you made my day. :)

**Chapter Two**

It took me over an hour to calm down enough to be able to drive myself to Gamma's house. Over an hour and a mini counseling session with Dr. Cullen, who I'm sure had plenty other things he needed to be doing. Even though I'd given him a lot of shit over the years, Cullen had always shown me nothing but courtesy and compassion, I should really get him a card or something for being so good to us. Most doctors wouldn't do even half the things he did on a regular basis. He'd even offered to help me with the funeral preparations if I needed it.

The drive to La Push didn't take as long as I had expected it to, considering I had anticipated crying the whole way. As luck would have it I was able to keep myself from crying long enough to pull into the driveway. As I looked ahead at the front steps of my childhood home I couldn't help but remember the day I had come to live with Gamma, and this set off a whole new set of tears.

I was five, so the memory of it was slightly on the foggy side. They say you can remember the most important turning points of your life, no matter how old you were. All I remembered was getting out of the backseat of my mothers car and racing up the three steps too the front door of Gamma's house. I had barely made it up the steps when the door was thrown open and my Gamma gathered me into her arms.

"_GAMMA!" _I called, not able to pronounce Grandma. Silly enough the nickname stuck.

"_Ah, Luca, you've grown since I last saw you, and is that a missing tooth I see?" _she smiled at me.

"_YES! Momma did it!" _I had said, so proud of myself.

Gamma's smile towards me faded when my mom started piling a couple suitcases on the porch. As a child I didn't understand what was really going on.

"_Momma says I get to stay with you for a while!" _

Gamma had put me down and smiled at me, she asked me to go inside while her and my mother spoke. I didn't realize that my mother was abandoning me with my grandmother but I later realized mom wasn't coming back. It was hard at first, after a couple days, I'm told, I was asking questions about when mom was coming to get me.

I looked over to the side of the house, where my best friend growing up had lived, and wondered if he still lived there. Slowly, I got out of my car and grabbed my purse.

I started school not too soon after coming to La Push, made a friend in my neighbor, Embry Call. I'm sure we were just the most adorable three and five year old running around our backyards. Although, he was two years younger than me we'd always gotten along, no matter what. After a few years of him being in school he made good friends with Quil Ateara and Jacob Black. Surprisingly enough, we were all good friends back in the day.

As far as people my age went I did make one friend, Kim Connweller. I told all my secrets to her, things I couldn't tell the boys, typical girl stuff.

I walked up the steps to my home, wondering if any of my old friends still lived on the rez. They probably all hated me. After I got into a fight with _him_ I packed up and left for California and never contacted any of them. I pulled on the door, hoping it would be unlocked. It wasn't.

"Shit!" I swore. I had given my set of keys back to Gamma when I'd left, just in case she'd locked herself out one day. It was already six, any phone calls to family would probably have to wait until tomorrow.

It was raining now, just like it usually was in La Push, I didn't even bother covering my hair. Screw my hair. I jumped off the porch and started looking under every rock for the spare. It wasn't there. I checked under the rocking chairs, nothing. I huffed. Maybe the backdoor was open?

Running around the side of the house I jumped onto our small deck and tried to pull the sliding glass door open. It wouldn't budge. I was running out of options. I checked all the windows, pulled off the screens and tried to open them, all the windows were locked too. One thing about Gamma is that she loved to leave the house secure, that's for sure.

Defeated, I screamed, loudly. The pent up frustration at Dr. Cullen for not saving my Gamma, being back in La Push, the possibility of running into _him_ after four years, and the doors to the house being locked was taking a toll on me. I walked with my head down to the front porch and sat on one of the rocking chairs. I couldn't cry anymore, because I was all cried out.

"Did you scream?" A low, husky voice asked from in front of me.

I looked up and almost jumped a mile high. He was ENORMOS, and shirtless, wearing only a pair of cargo shorts. I didn't realize I was gawking until he gave me a look, he recognized me.

"Luca?" He asked.

This guy knew me? I studied his face for a moment, then it clicked. He was much bigger than when I last saw him, but he still had the same face. One of my best friends growing up.

"Jake?" I asked.

He grinned and took all three steps in one, pulling me into a big warm hug. Literally, warm. He was radiating heat. "How have you been?"

"Well I was doing good, uhm... Gamma passed away a couple hours ago." I sighed, a lump forming in my throat, I looked at Jake, it was obvious he was shocked.

"I'm so sorry Luca, what happened?"

"She had a stroke a couple days ago, Dr. Cullen called me and told me she wouldn't recover," I took a deep breath, "if there's anything you or Billy want of hers just let me know. I know she loved you guys like family."

He nodded solemnly, "We loved her too. When's the funeral?"

"I'm not sure, in a few days typically? I have no idea how to plan a funeral. Dr. Cullen told me he'd help me out with it if I needed it." I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. I had no idea what I was going to do.

Jake gave a small half smile and hugged me, "Well we'll help with whatever we can. You should call your cousin, Harry passed away a couple years ago, she would know how to help." I nodded, one thing about La Push, everyone was related, he was talking about my cousin, Sue Clearwater. "Why were you screaming earlier?"

I kind of fake chuckled as I told him, "Well see, I gave my key back to Gamma when I left so she wouldn't get locked out and now I'm locked out. Gamma rode to the hospital the other night in an ambulance so her keys weren't among her possessions. So basically, I can't get in because none of the windows are unlocked."

"You know you could've just gone next door right? Gamma gave Embry's mom the spare key." Jake laughed.

I laughed, for the first time since I got the call to come home I laughed, "Wow, I'm stupid, that would make since."

He walked next door, still half laughing. " They aren't home, but I know for a fact that Embry keeps his window unlocked so I'll be right back."

As Jake was doing a B&E, I took a second to bring all the things from my car to the porch. I didn't have much in Cali, but I did have two big bags worth of clothes and a duffel bag full of both meaningful and meaningless possessions. He was back before I was finished and helped me grab the duffel bag and Gamma's pursed from my back seat.

He handed me the keys to the house and I unlocked the door, a wave of emotions crashed over me as I walked in, I turned to grab one of my bags but Jake had already grabbed everything and was ushering it all into the door and walking it down to where he knew my room was. I was shocked he could carry all that, the bags of clothes were particularly heavy.

I dropped the keys on the counter and took a look at the house, it still had that warm home-like feel too it, and for that I was grateful. Jake re emerged from the hallway and took a piece of paper from up by the phone, scribbling something on it.

"This is my number, text me yours later. The number under it is Embry. I'm going to tell him you're here and if you don't text him within the next half hour I can guarantee he's going to be pissed." Jake grinned.

Same old Jacob. At least _he _didn't hate me.

I smiled, "Well then I guess I'll just have to forget to text him until twenty nine minutes and fifty seconds from now." He ruffled my hair. "So how are things around here?" It wasn't the real question I wanted to ask but it would suffice.

He got a distant look on his face, but it looked like he quickly shoot it because he started talking. "Things are good. The three of us missed you when you left."

"I missed you guys too, I'm sorry I never called or wrote, I just couldn't face anything that reminded me of La Push or"

"Paul?" He cut me off.

I shuttered involuntarily. "Yeah, I guess. Things got bad, so I just decided to take the offer for free treatments. Got into college, I did well for myself in Cali. I can handle my Epilepsy so much better now, and a lot of things that used to trigger seizures don't anymore."

"I'm glad to hear you've done well for yourself." He smiled at me, "I have to go, and I will be telling Embry you're here, and he will be expecting that text in a half hour."

When Jake left I sunk to the floor. He'd mentioned Paul. Paul mother f-ing Lahote. That asshole. My high school sweetheart. We were together through all of Junior and Senior years. After he was done changing girlfriends like normal people change clothes in the first two years of high school, of course.

Paul had always been good towards me, and always stuck up for me when others would make fun of my epilepsy. I developed a crush on him around the same time Kim developed a crush on his best friend, Jared Cameron. It was easy to like Paul. He was handsome, he was smart, and not to mention he had that confidence that made him a ladies man to begin with. He was particularly good at making the _fake_ kind of women like him.

Even though Jared never really noticed Kim until senior year, Paul had noticed me. I gave him a hard time when he tried to date me, and made it clear I would not be one of his _flings_, he told me that was the reason he fell for me.

When Dr. Cullen asked me if I would like to take an offer to receive free treatment for my epilepsy in California I was hesitant. Paul and I had been fighting a lot at that time. I thought it was just stress due to graduation being just around the corner. I brought it up to him one night when he was over watching a movie with me. He really didn't take it well. He was angry that I had even given a thought to leaving for this "stupid scam" that "jerk off" doctor was trying to push on me.

He started shaking immensely, I thought he was going to hit me, and for once I was actually afraid of Paul. Instead, he burst out the back door, breaking it off it's hinges, and I didn't see him again. He ditched school for the rest of the year, which was only a couple weeks. He wasn't at grad either. Paul didn't answer my phone calls, no one would let me near enough to even look at him, let alone talk to him. So I left. I took Cullen's offer and went to Cali and bettered myself. _Away from Paul Lahote. _

I flipped open my phone and programed Jake and Embry's numbers, then texted Jake.

_Happy? _

Then, as I had been instructed, I texted Embry, who I was sure hated me even though Jake didn't act like he did.

_Hey Embee guess who? _

I put my phone above my head on the counter and stood up, dusting off my butt from sitting on the floor. I had no more than stood up when my phone buzzed. I checked the screen, it was Embry.

_Can I come over?_

I felt nervous to see my best friend again. I bet he would scream at me.

_If you promise you don't hate me._

I didn't have to wait on a response because less than two minutes later there was a loud knock on the door. I looked at the floor in shame as I opened the it. Within seconds I was being crushed in a big, warm, hug just like the one I had gotten from Jake. I felt instantly happy, as I always had whenever Embry was around.

"Why in the _hell_ would you think that I hated you Luca? You've been my best friend since I was digging up worms in the back yard and making mud pies!" Embry's voice had gotten much deeper, like Jake's, though it was an even deeper and huskier rumble, it caused me to shiver. He still hadn't let go of me completely, but he did hold me at arms length.

I laughed a little as I looked up.

And up.

And up.

"What the hell is in the water, when did you guys get so damn tall?" I asked as I looked him in the eyes.

Embry's jaw went slack, his eyes widened, his grip on me tightened, and there was something in his eyes. Something animalistic, raw, passionate. He looked like he wanted to throw me on the couch and do... things... to me. I'd only seen a look like that before from a few drunk guys in the dorms over the years, and they weren't nearly as intense as Embry's stare. It made me feel a little self concious.

"Embry, can you maybe put me down?" I asked, he had picked me up somewhere in all of this and I was dangling from his arms. When did he get so strong?

He shook his head and grinned, that sexy grin of his that he always used to get out of trouble when we were younger. I used to hate it because he would get one day of detention and I would get Saturday school. Somehow, even though it was so annoying, it had always been eerily attractive to me.

"Sorry little Luca." He said, putting me down. I cringed at the nickname. "I have to go, but I'll be back later to talk with you. I'll bring the movie..."

I remembered our old thing from back in school, "if I supply the food, I know." I smiled.

He turned to leave, then stopped and looked at me. "I wish I would've stopped you from leaving." He said quietly, brushing a stray hair from my face.

I offered him a sad smile, "There was nothing you could've done to change my mind."

"You're wrong, there was, I'm so sorry about Gamma," with one last look he turned away and ran off the porch and into the woods.

Now that he was gone I realized just how awkward his behavior had been, and how messed up it was that I had liked it.

Embry did not come back that night. I had taken a shower and curled up on the couch, hoping to catch a nap before he came back over but instead my cell phone buzzed. I had a missed call and a text from Embry. _Sorry, something came up tonight, tomorrow night instead? _The text had read. I sighed, as long as he wasn't saying _Lol jk I hate you! _I could deal. I would have much rather not been alone right now, but I had expected everyone to hate me so it was just a blessing that both Embry and Jake were fine with me being back.

_Mmk, no problem._ Was my reply.

The house was still as comfortable as ever, I think Gamma had intended for it to be. Curled up on the couch I felt as though she should come bursting through the door with groceries or something in hand, poor Embry in tow. She'd always enlisted him in helping her bring in groceries if she saw him. I sighed at the memories. He'd always follow because she'd give him ice cream afterward and spoil his dinner.

It didn't take me long to drift asleep with good memories of Gamma and this house.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

My phone alarm went off, I'd forgotten to reset it. It was only seven, the time I would get up to start getting ready for classes. I groaned and set up, I had fallen asleep on the couch. It was comfortable, but I would've rather slept in my bed.

I pushed myself off the couch and walked into the kitchen, grabbing the notepad that sat by the phone and started writing a list of what had to get done today. The list was long, but manageable. I just hoped I wasn't too tired later on. Embry said he'd come over tonight.

The refrigerator was stocked full, thank God. I didn't want to go into Forks and eat at the diner and I really didn't want to go grocery shopping. I took out some hash browns from the freezer and started warming up couple skillets.

It was so quiet here. Even when Gamma and I were both here you could hear a pen drop on the floor. I used to enjoy the quiet, now I loathed it. Silence gives one time to think over every bad thing that's happened, and silence is depressing. After living in a rowdy co-ed dorm for four years you get used to having noise all around you. The silence was deafening, it was making my ears ring.

I tossed some butter in one skillet and let it melt before I added the hash browns. They were nearly ready when I put the eggs on. I salted everything before piling it all on a plate and sitting at the table.

I pushed the food around, not able to eat it.

All of the sudden I felt bad for wasting all this good food. A sharp banging came from the front door, I jumped to answer it.

"Luca honey." Sue pulled me into a hug. What was it with all the hugs these days? I hugged her back.

"Hey Sue," Seth and Leah were behind her, they were about as huge as Jake and Embry, I was really starting to get concerned about the water around here. "Seth, Leah."

"Hey Lu," they said sadly, Gamma was their great grandmother. Gamma and Grandpa Will had Sue's mom about seventeen years before my mother. So Sue and my mom basically grew up as sisters, regardless of the fact that my mom was technically her aunt.

"I was gonna call you after I stopped pushing my breakfast around. I guess the hospital called my mother, she said she'd be here for the funeral." I sighed, letting them in. Seth drew me into a huge bear hug, just as scorching hot as Embry and Jake's had been.

"More like the will reading." Leah huffed, hugging me. What was is with all this high body temperature business?

"That's what I thought, speaking of I need to go hunt down the safe."

"Luca you should eat this," Sue called from the kitchen, where my breakfast that I hadn't taken a bite of sat.

"I can't," I said.

"I will!" Seth called, practically running to the kitchen.

"SETH!" Sue scolded.

He turned around, mouth already full. I laughed, "He can have it, I wasn't going to eat it and it might as well not go to waste."

Leah put her hand on my shoulder, slapping her brother across the back of the head, "Come on, I'll help you find the safe."

Leah and I walked to Gamma's door, it was closed. We halted for a minute, I looked at Leah to find her staring back at me, tears in her eyes. Leah and I had always had a good relationship, I knew she was hurt when I left, she was hurt enough that Sam had left her for our cousin, Emily. Then Harry died and I wasn't able to make it to the funeral, I'm sure everyone was pissed about that. It had been finals week, and it was the policy that there were no make ups on finals. Leah held her hand out to me, I grabbed it and gently opened the door to Gamma's room.

It was dark, the curtains were drawn. Gamma had a thing for light canceling curtains. I flipped the light switch and Leah and I walked in the room, letting go of each others hand. She rushed to the closet and I looked under the bed.

"Got it, let's go." Leah said, helping me up. We sprinted out of there, slamming the door behind us.

"You know, even when she was alive she wouldn't have gotten mad at you for being in her room, right?" Seth chided jokingly from the kitchen.

"Shut up Seth." Leah hissed, dropping the safe on the table with a loud 'thunk.'

She took a seat at the table. "Okay, Luca. You and I have a lot to do. Since her only living _daughter_ doesn't want to take part of the funeral it's up to her _granddaughters." _

I nodded, I had already known that.

"So this is what we have to do over the next two days. We've gotta call the whole family, go to the funeral home and pick a casket, figure out what day the funeral will be, Gamma already had a reserved grave plot next to Grandpa Will so we don't have to do anything but let them know they have to get it ready. Then we have to go to the flower shop and get the casket spray. Oh- and the obituary we have to get posted when we find out when we'll be having the funeral. Leah and Seth will be here putting together the scrap book and things for the funeral room, and they'll get the guest book and memorial cards."

I nodded, feeling so useless. So much went into planning a funeral.

"The Eulogy?" I asked, the one thing I knew about funerals was that someone had to write a Eulogy.

"Well that's between me and you since Anna obviously doesn't want to help. I don't know if I could do Gamma justice though." Sue looked down.

I looked out the kitchen window. "I'll do it if you want."

She smiled softly, "Okay. We're going to get started in about an hour, I know you're not hungry so I'll make you a smoothie, you have to have something in you."

I got up from the table and went down the hallway to get to my wardrobe. As I got dressed I started feeling so grateful for Sue, she was my cousin but I felt like she was another mother figure in my life, considering I was only a year younger than her oldest child. I was lucky to have a family member like her, and second cousins like Leah and Seth. Even though I couldn't make it to Harry's funeral they were still here, and they hadn't said one bad thing too me.

I sat down on my bed and cried, this time my tears weren't for the passing of Gamma, this time I cried because I had been so selfish. I left everyone who cared about me. I left them because of a _guy, _I could pretend it was just because of the free treatment but, really, it wasn't. I was so selfish.

The door to my room burst open and in rushed Seth, engulfing me in a giant hug. I couldn't even think about how he'd heard me, I just wrapped my arms around him and cried into his chest whispering my apology over and over.

"What in the world are you sorry for Lu?" He asked after I started calming down.

It took me a second to reply, "I- I'm such an asshole. I'm so selfish, I never should have left. I'm so sorry I didn't come to the funeral. I love you guys, I-"

"Oh shut up Luca, we forgave you for that a long time ago." Leah walked in and cut me off, "Now get up, wash your face, put your poker face on and get the shit done."

Seth grinned, "And we love you too." Leah nodded in agreement.

I sprang up from the bed and hugged them both before doing what Leah told me to do. Withing a few minutes I was ready to go do whatever Sue was ready to do. Which, by the look on her face, was an awful lot.

"So, the will wasn't in the safe but all the other documents we need were. If her lawyer isn't in contact by tomorrow then we're going to have to give him a call." Sue was telling me as we headed out the door, leaving Leah and Seth to do their designated jobs.

The ride to Forks was, surprisingly, lively with conversation.

"So, Luca, how was California?" Sue asked.

I smiled fondly, "It was great, the treatments went well. I'm never going to get rid of my epilepsy, but the things that trigger a seizure are few to none these days." I said proudly.

"That's great! I'm happy for you! For a while we were all worried about you being alone and having an attack."

"Well I wasn't ever alone, which was actually kind of a downside. When I was at the treatment facility I was under constant surveillance, and then I applied and got into UCLA and moved into the dorms, where I had a room mate."

"Ah so many people."

I laughed, "Yeah it was a little too much for a while, but I got used to it. Now, being in the house alone last night was depressing. I might have to leave the TV on for the duration of my stay."

Sue looked at me, before turning to face the road again, "Well we all missed you, I hope you don't try to clear outta here to quickly," she paused for a moment, "So, did you get your degree? Gamma told me you were studying to become a teacher."

"Yeah, actually, graduation is in a few days. I already finished everything, I'm not required to be there. They're going to mail me my degrees in a couple weeks I guess. I studied education, with particular focus on psychology and history. But I have certifications saying I can teach English, or be a school councilor." I smiled.

Sue whistled, "You really did do well for yourself, I'm so proud of you."

I felt a blush spread across my face, "Thanks Sue."

"And if you're interested, Salena Fuller is leaving at the end of this school year, they have to find a new History teacher on the Rez." Sue looked over at me and winked.

I snorted, literally. "Mrs. Fuller is like forty, why is she leaving?"

"She got offered a job in Seattle at the University."

"Oh, yeah I can see why she would take that. What about her son? Uhm, Brady right?" I asked.

"He's staying with his friend's family. He has two more years of school and he refuses to leave La Push."

"Ah."

"If you're interested you should go up there and talk to the principal about it, seriously. They'd rather hire a Quileute then some outsider."

"I'll think about it." I stated as we pulled into the funeral home.

It was obvious that Sue wanted me to stay in La Push. I'm sure Leah and Seth wanted me to stay too. But could I face living in La Push again? After spending four years away I still felt like La Push was my home, and my family had made me feel welcome now that I've come back. Jake and Embry made me feel welcome too. Maybe I could give it a shot? Ask the rez school for a job and give it a year, see if I can stand it? I really didn't have a plan for what to do after college, I just assumed start looking for teaching jobs all over the country.

We walked into the funeral home and were greeted with kind, professional faces. I always wondered what it took to work with families grieving for their lost love ones would be like. I wouldn't be able to handle it, considering I was a wuss, if I heard or saw something sad I would probably break down and cry.

"Mrs. Clearwater, Miss Cane," the man nodded, "we have Lynda here and ready to be moved to a casket if that is what she wanted. Our caskets are located down this hall." I hated hearing Gamma called by her real name. Not that Lynda wasn't a beautiful name. It was just the simple fact that anyone who knew here called her by Gamma.

We went through the rest of the day of preparations as quickly as possible, meeting Seth and Leah for lunch at the Forks diner at about two. Let me tell you, they ate like pigs. You would think that a lifetime of being taught proper etiquette by Gamma would've paid off but apparently not in Seth and Leah's case.

Sue dropped me off at home at five, telling me she would be back around nine in the morning to finish the funeral plans and run the rest of the errands.

"You may want to start on that Eulogy soon too," she said, shifting her car into reverse.

"Yeah I'll do that. Thank you Sue I appreciate your help."

She smiled as she backed out of the driveway, "That's what family is for Luca."

Even though we'd done the most depressing things all day, the Clearwaters had made it so much more bearable. With the exception of Leah in most cases, the Clearwaters were the happiest people I've ever known, they always smiled. Seth especially had a particularly cheerful air about him that just made him the easiest person to get along with. Walking into the house I thanked God for my cousins.

I had only been in the house for ten minutes when my cell phone rang, I answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello." I said into the phone, trying to clean off the mess Leah and Seth left on the kitchen table.

"_Hey, I've go the movie."_ Embry's deep husky voice came through the phone.

I laughed, "I've got the food."

"_Be over in five?"_ He asked, I knew it was more like a statement.

"Better make it four or I'll eat all the food by myself." I grinned.

He growled through the phone, _literally _growled. Odd. _"Be there in three." _And he hung up.

I laughed as I went to the pantry and pulled out the box of popcorn. It was tradition that one of us takes a movie over to the other ones house, and the host person in the host house makes at least two bags of popcorn and or orders a pizza. So as I was popping the popcorn I called the local pizza place and asked for a large meat lovers pizza for delivery. My doorbell rang the same time the microwave went off.

"Come on in Embee." I yelled as I pulled the first popcorn bag out of the microwave and put the second one in.

I didn't even hear him open the door to come in, but when I turned around he was standing right behind me and I came face to face with bare chest. _Sexy defined muscles you got there Embee, _I thought. Wait, what?

"Hey eyes up here Lu." He pushed my head up with two fingers under my chin, lingering for a second before he turned around and stuffed his face with popcorn.

I snorted, "Put a shirt on! I seem to recall a time in high school I had to remind you where my eyes were." I said smugly.

He blushed, "Yeah but it's different."

"I don't see how. What movie did you bring?"

"I'm not telling," he smiled, holding it behind his back.

"Oh come on Em, really?" I asked, trying to get around him to see it, he kept dodging me.

"I haven't been able to tease you in four years and I missed you, I gotta make up for it!" He complained, dodging me again and running into the living room to put the movie in.

That stopped me in my tracks. Embry seemed to notice because he came back to the kitchen looking almost frantic, "What's wrong? Luke..."

"I'm sorry." I blurted.

He looked at me questioningly, "You have nothing to be sorry about."

Suddenly the kitchen tiles became much more interesting, "I'm sorry for leaving, I shouldn't have. It was very cowardly of me and I know that now."

Embry wrapped his arms around me and laid his chin on the top of my head. I almost gasped at the warmth I was divulged into, but instead I sighed and wrapped my arms around him in return. I breathed in his woodsy aroma and smiled into his chest. I never noticed how perfect he smelt.

I internally flinched, what was I thinking? This was _Embry_ I was thinking these things about. My "BFF," You can't think those types of things about your best friend!

Then again he _did_ grow up, _a lot._

"You don't have to be sorry because you left. You left because you were going to get the help you deserved." He said, pulling away.

I instantly missed his warmth.

"You and I both know that wasn't the reason," I stated, grabbing the bowl of popcorn and walking into the living room, the movie was on the title screen, he'd brought over a horror movie. Of course, Embry was the only person who knew about my obsession with horror.

I looked over at Embry, who was looking at me with a pained expression. He took a seat next to me and drew in a long breath before exhaling slowly. We sat on opposite ends of the couch and played the movie. When the pizza came I watched him wolf down over half of it, laughing at his appetite. We hadn't really watched the movie, we talked like old times, it felt good to be around Embry again.

**A/N:** I gotta stop it here, sorry. :D Thank you to those who reviewed, you guys make me happy, and a happy me writes more. But, I'm glad you like this and appreciate the support. Next chapter should be out in a few days.


End file.
